Notes from the Lake

Rebecca Lang is a cookbook author, cooking instructor, and food writer. Her newest book, Quick-Fix Southern, was released in March 2011. She is also the author Southern Entertaining for a New Generation and Mary Mac's Tea Room. As a Contributing Editor for Southern Living, Rebecca is featured in weekly cooking segments on the nationally syndicated show "Daytime". She is also a Contributing Editor for myrecipes.com and writes a monthly column, "Girls' Night In", for the site.

This week, I was visiting with a frequent guest who relayed a wonderful discussion she had with her granddaughter, Abbie. Abbie is an amazing person (much like her grandmother), who at the age of eight is about to head off to camp for the very first time in her life. Grandma (known as Gre Gre) and Abbie were discussing if Abbie was excited or nervous about her first trip to camp. Gre Gre was telling Abbie how she should be MORE excited than nervous. Abbie looked at her as only a child…

Quad: For the front of the thigh; hold your ankle and pull your foot back towards your glutes. Tuck the pelvis forward while gently pulling the leg back — the push/pull should bring the leg perpendicular to the hip. Pull the knee down towards the ground while holding the position — the knee will not actually go anywhere, but the engagement will give a much deeper stretch.

Calf: Step one foot back and press the heel into the ground. Make sure the toes of the back foot are pointing…